This is the 10th in a series of quick looks at LSU players as they prepare for Pro Day on April 9. Scouting consultant Chris Landry works for several NFL teams and talks strengths and weaknesses of the Tiger players.

Craig Loston calls it "running the alley." That's the dirty work done by safeties, coming up hard and taking on ballcarriers.

It's a skill Loston, the former LSU Tiger, is comfortable with. It's the reason he gained the nickname "Poppa" in high school. Big-time hits, no questions asked.

What he wants to show NFL scouts at Pro Day Wednesday is that he can cover, too, in hopes of locking up a place in the NFL draft May 8-10. He ran a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The odds are in his favor.

"There's not a tremendous amount of depth at safety," NFL scouting consultant Chris Landry said. "There's going to be a chance for him to play. He's got really good intangibles. He's got durability issues, but he's a really good in-the-box safety. His instincts and recognition are pretty good, and he has good ball skills.

"He's got to show his ability to make plays in the deep half of the field, run and cover guys, show he can open up, get depth and width in coverage. He can help himself by showing that he's not just an in-the-box safety."

Loston was sixth on the team in tackles in 2013 with 57 despite missing three games. He finished his career with seven interceptions and six passes defensed. He's likely to get a lot of questions about his durability since he seemed to miss games every year. He redshirted as a freshman mainly because of a hand injury.

"The Pro Day won't make or break him," Landry said. "The three-cone drill and the short shuttle drills can help him."